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Re: Cinnamon in Swarm Trap as Ant Deterrent

Cinnamon and potential bee residences is not a good combination. Cinnamon is quite strong as far as odor thus the bees (which have very good sniffers) will not stay long. I can only use cinnamon for a limited time before the bees fly the coop. I learned the hard way on an established hive. Two weeks with a cinnamon treatment and they were gone.

Re: Cinnamon in Swarm Trap as Ant Deterrent

If you don't have honey or dead brood you should not have ant problems. Use dry black comb. I extract my dead hives and have the bees dry them, they then make excellent swarm traps other than the potential of what ever killed them being contagious.

Re: Cinnamon in Swarm Trap as Ant Deterrent

Thanks for the replies, I won’t be using cinnamon after reading Mr Beeman post.

I have plenty of black comb for next year’s traps. Last year I was very limited, and used burr comb in allot of traps. I set up 30 some traps and caught 12 swarms. I am happy with my results. 3 or 4 had ants (one had eggs too) I shook them out on the ground and moved the trap to a different branch, and they did not move back in. Also hornets in a few. I don't think you can do anything about them.